Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in grilled foods from Kermanshah province

Grilling is one of the most traditional ways of cooking foods, especially meat, which can produce a number of carcinogenic compounds. This study was to identify the pattern of kebab consumption and its PAHs among a selection of the Iranian population. Kebab consumption pattern were assessed using a validated questionnaire. A sample of three types of popular kebabs, including Koobideh (minced meat), Barg (crushed meat pieces), and Juje (chopped chicken pieces), was collected from each restaurant and then transferred to a laboratory to measure PAHs. The median benzo[a]pyrene concentrations (7.85 μg/kg) and the sum of benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]anthracene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene concentrations (15.74 μg/kg) were higher than the maximum level imposed by the Commission of the European Communities. A significant relationship between Barg kebab prepared with charcoal and the amounts of anthracene, benzo[a]anthracene, dibenzo[a,h]pyrene, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene was found. The highest PAHs produced in samples prepared with charcoal was dibenzo[a,h]pyrene.